if dwarf planets were still counted as planets. How many planets would be in the Solar System?

Answer 1

8 classical planets

3 dwarf planets at the moment: Ceres, Pluto and Eris

12 candidate dwarf planets (all Trans-Neptunian Objects) Charon, Ixion, Orcus, Quaoar, Sedna, Varuna, plus "Easterbunny" and "Santa" and 2002 TC302, 2002 UX25, 2002 TX300 and 2002 AW197,

So

(a) 11 right now
(b) if all the candidates become dwarf planets, that would be 23
(c) if Pluto and Charon are regarded as a binary planet, the total may be defined as 22 not 23.

A complication is that the next three largest asteroids, 2 Pallas, 4 Vesta and 10 Hygiea may also be bumped up to dwarf planet status. However Hygiea eould not pass the requirement that it be spherical as it is oblong in shape.

So the outcome may depend on how rigorously (rigidly) the IAU decides to make shape a criterion, when what is actually prompting selection for the short list is size,

But there are in excess of 1,000 TNOs all discovered since 1992 and a phenomenal 338.000 asteroids out there (and it is estimated there could be as many as 1.1 to 1.9 million asteroids of 1 kilometre diameter or more) so if you wanted more planets than 23, you are spoiled for choice, but where would you draw the line?

Answer 2

There are 11 planets and dwarf planets currently.

The Solar System consists of eight "planets" Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

A new distinct class of objects called "dwarf planets" was added by the International Astronomical Union (IAU)

It was agreed that "planets" and "dwarf planets" are two distinct classes of objects.

The first members of the "dwarf planet" category are Ceres, Pluto and Eris (formerly 2003 UB313 and informally Xena)

More "dwarf planets" are expected to be announced by the IAU in the coming months and years. Currently a dozen candidate "dwarf planets" are listed on IAU's "dwarf planet" watchlist, which keeps changing as new objects are found and the physics of the existing candidates becomes better known.

Answer 3

I read in Science News the week before there was a decision that Pluto was no longer a planet, that we would have 12 planets if we considered all of the dwarf planets in the solar system.

Answer 4

Right now, there would be eleven: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Eris. That's the eight planets by the new definition, and the three recognized dwarf planets. However, nearly a dozen other bodies are under consideration as possible dwarf planets; we need to know more about their shapes.

Answer 5

More than 20

Answer 6

Had the dwarf planets in question been given full planetary status, there would have been at least 12. In order...
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Charon, and Eris.

Answer 7

That would include the 8 that the IAU recognize as planets plus Ceres, Pluto, Charon, Sedna, Quoaor, 2003 UB313, 2005 FY9, and one other who's name I can't remember for a total of 16.

Answer 8

22

Answer 9

There are a few big rocks out there that may soon also be classified as dwarf planets too, some are in the asteroid belt!

Presently it is around 12... with a big rock being taken into consideration in the above! And i think a comet too!

i'll be back!

there you go... http://www.seds.org/hst/

enjoy the journey!

Peace!

Answer 10

I'll say 18

I probably missed some and we know there are many, many, more out there. 134340 is counted as a system and it cannot be counted individually. Makes it a fun challenge to separate the clusters from non clusters.

These are being discovered daily